A compact high-precision icemaker water valve assembly

Abstract

The utility model discloses a compact high accuracy ice maker water valve subassembly, control box inside from top to bottom is provided with flowmeter, pressure reducing valve, water valve in proper order, is provided with the PCB board of built -in PID algorithm on the inner side wall of control box, and the terminal interface of electric connection PCB board is set up to the outside of control box, and the two reinforcing bars are set up between the side of control box and mounting panel, and flowmeter and pressure reducing valve adopt coaxial nested type layout. Through flowmeter real -time monitoring water flow data, through the PCB board of built -in PID algorithm dynamic regulation water valve's opening, compared with traditional mechanical valve, greatly improve its control accuracy, make the ice making amount, ice making quality all get the promotion. Through pressure reducing valve and flowmeter adopt coaxial nested type layout, reduce the occupation of horizontal space, and the PCB board and terminal interface adopt vertical stack arrangement, utilize Z height space, the space in control box is used reasonably, make water valve subassembly volume greatly reduce, and then adapt compact ice maker.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of water valve technology, specifically to a compact, high-precision water valve assembly for an ice maker. Background Technology

[0002] The water valve of an ice maker is a key component for regulating water intake and replenishment, and its performance directly affects ice-making efficiency, ice quality, and equipment lifespan. Its core function is to precisely control the flow and interruption of water according to the instructions of the ice-making program, ensuring a stable water level in the tank or supplying water to the evaporator as needed during the ice-making process.

[0003] Although small, the water valve of an ice maker is the "lifeline" of the water system. When selecting a model, it is necessary to consider the type of ice maker (size, ice-making method), water pressure conditions, and water quality.

[0004] Traditional ice maker water valves have two major drawbacks:

[0005] 1. Due to their large size (thickness often > 60mm), they are difficult to fit into compact ice makers;

[0006] 2. Flow control relies on mechanical valves, and the error is greater than 10%, resulting in unstable ice production. Utility Model Content

[0007] The purpose of this invention is to provide a compact, high-precision water valve assembly for an ice maker to address the aforementioned shortcomings in the prior art.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides the following technical solution: a compact, high-precision ice maker water valve assembly, comprising a control box, wherein a flow meter, a pressure reducing valve, and a water valve are arranged sequentially from top to bottom inside the control box; the outlet end of the flow meter is connected to an outlet pipe via an adapter; the inlet end of the water valve is connected to an inlet pipe; a PCB board with a built-in PID algorithm is provided on the inner side wall of the control box; and a terminal interface for electrically connecting the PCB board is provided on the outer side of the control box.

[0009] Furthermore, the PCB board is located on one side of the flow meter, pressure reducing valve, and water valve.

[0010] Furthermore, a mounting plate is fixedly connected to the side of the control box, and the mounting plate has multiple fixing holes.

[0011] Furthermore, two reinforcing ribs are provided between the side of the control box and the mounting plate.

[0012] Furthermore, the flow meter and the pressure reducing valve adopt a coaxial nested layout.

[0013] Furthermore, the PCB board and terminal interface are arranged in a vertically stacked manner.

[0014] Furthermore, both the flow meter and the water valve are electrically connected to the PCB board.

[0015] Furthermore, both the pressure reducing valve and the water valve use an integrated injection-molded housing.

[0016] In the above technical solution, the compact, high-precision ice maker water valve assembly provided by this utility model has the following beneficial effects:

[0017] 1. This utility model monitors water flow data in real time through a flow meter and dynamically adjusts the opening of the water valve through a PCB board with a built-in PID algorithm. Compared with traditional mechanical valves, it greatly improves the control accuracy, thereby improving both the ice production capacity and the ice quality.

[0018] 2. By adopting a coaxial nested layout for the pressure reducing valve and flow meter, the horizontal space occupied is reduced. The PCB board and terminal interface are arranged in a vertical stack. By utilizing the Z-axis height space and making reasonable use of the space inside the control box, the size of the water valve assembly is greatly reduced, thus making it suitable for compact ice makers.

[0019] It should be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and illustrative only, and are not intended to limit this disclosure.

[0020] This application provides an overview of various implementations or examples of the technology described in this disclosure, and is not a full disclosure of the entire scope or all features of the disclosed technology. Attached Figure Description

[0021] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments recorded in this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings.

[0022] Figure 1 A first-view structural schematic diagram provided for an embodiment of this utility model;

[0023] Figure 2 A cross-sectional view provided for an embodiment of this utility model;

[0024] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the second-view structure provided for an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0025] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure provided for an embodiment of the present utility model.

[0026] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0027] 1. Control box; 2. Mounting plate; 21. Fixing holes; 22. Reinforcing ribs; 3. Outlet pipe; 4. Inlet pipe; 5. Adapter; 6. Flow meter; 7. PCB board; 8. Terminal interface; 9. Pressure reducing valve; 10. Water valve. Detailed Implementation

[0028] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this disclosure clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this disclosure. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the described embodiments of this disclosure without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0029] Please see Figures 1-4 A compact, high-precision ice maker water valve assembly includes a control box 1. Inside the control box 1, from top to bottom, are arranged a flow meter 6, a pressure reducing valve 9, and a water valve 10. The outlet end of the flow meter 6 is connected to an outlet pipe 3 via an adapter 5, and the inlet end of the water valve 10 is connected to an inlet pipe 4. A PCB board 7 with a built-in PID algorithm is provided on the inner wall of the control box 1, and a terminal interface 8 electrically connected to the PCB board 7 is provided on the outer side of the control box 1. Both the flow meter 6 and the water valve 10 are electrically connected to the PCB board 7.

[0030] Specifically, water valve 10 is an electric ball valve. It transmits data collected by flow meter 6 to PCB board 7. After calculation by the PID algorithm in PCB board 7, it controls the cross-sectional area of ​​the pipeline to be filled by water valve 10, with a water injection control accuracy of ±1%. The electric ball valve is a commercially available product. It drives the valve to rotate through a speed head inside the electric ball valve, thereby controlling the cross-sectional area of ​​the pipeline to be filled. The speed head detects the turbulence state of the water flow and compensates for the flow error caused by pressure fluctuations with a compensation accuracy of ±0.5%. The wiring connection between PCB board 7, water valve 10, and flow meter 6 is common knowledge known to those skilled in the art and will not be explained in detail here.

[0031] Among them, the PID algorithm (Proportional-Integral-Derivative) is a classic control strategy widely used in the field of automatic control. It achieves precise control of the controlled object by adjusting the proportional, integral, and derivative components of the system error. It precisely regulates the cross-sectional area of ​​the water passage in the control pipeline of the control valve 10, achieving a water injection control accuracy of ±1%.

[0032] Furthermore, the PCB board 7 is located on one side of the flow meter 6, pressure reducing valve 9, and water valve 10, making the internal component layout of the control box 1 more compact. The sides of the pressure reducing valve 9 and water valve 10 are fixedly installed on the inner wall of the control box 1. The function of the pressure reducing valve 9 is to control the upstream water supply pressure, avoid excessive water pressure from damaging the equipment connected to the subsequent water circuit, and play a role in stabilizing the pressure. The flow meter 6 is used to collect the fluid flow rate of the water circuit per unit time. It has high accuracy and transmits the collected data to the PCB board 7.

[0033] Furthermore, a mounting plate 2 is fixedly connected to the side of the control box 1. The mounting plate 2 has multiple fixing holes 21, and two reinforcing ribs 22 are provided between the side of the control box 1 and the mounting plate 2.

[0034] Specifically, the mounting plate 2 is fixed to the ice maker by screws through the fixing holes 21. The connection stability between the control box 1 and the mounting plate 2 is increased by setting the reinforcing ribs 22, so that the control box 1 can be firmly installed on one side of the ice maker even by simply locking the mounting plate 2 to the ice maker with screws.

[0035] Furthermore, the flow meter 6 and the pressure reducing valve 9 adopt a coaxial nested layout, and the PCB board 7 and the terminal interface 8 are arranged in a vertical stacked manner.

[0036] Specifically, the flow meter 6 and the pressure reducing valve 9 adopt a coaxial nested layout to reduce the lateral space occupied; the PCB board 7 and the terminal interface 8 are arranged in a vertical stacking manner, with the PCB board 7 and the terminal interface 8 arranged on the inner and outer sides of the control box 1 respectively, and connected to the external power supply through the terminal interface 8; the compact design of the internal components of the control box 1 results in the overall size of the control box 1 being 106×46×168mm (width×thickness×height), with the thickness compressed to 46mm, which is more than 30% less than conventional products, greatly reducing the overall volume of the water valve assembly, making it suitable for small ice makers.

[0037] Furthermore, both the pressure reducing valve 9 and the water valve 10 adopt an integrated injection-molded shell. The shells of the pressure reducing valve 9 and the water valve 10 are integrally injection molded, which makes the pipeline layout inside the control box 1 more compact and reduces redundant space.

[0038] The foregoing description only illustrates certain exemplary embodiments of the present invention. Undoubtedly, those skilled in the art can modify the described embodiments in various ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the above drawings and descriptions are illustrative in nature and should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A compact, high-precision ice maker water valve assembly, comprising a control box (1), characterized in that: The control box (1) is provided with a flow meter (6), a pressure reducing valve (9), and a water valve (10) arranged from top to bottom. The outlet end of the flow meter (6) is connected to an outlet pipe (3) through an adapter (5). The inlet end of the water valve (10) is connected to an inlet pipe (4). A PCB board (7) with a built-in PID algorithm is provided on the inner side wall of the control box (1). A terminal interface (8) for electrically connecting the PCB board (7) is provided on the outer side of the control box (1).

2. The compact, high-precision ice maker water valve assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The PCB board (7) is located on one side of the flow meter (6), pressure reducing valve (9), and water valve (10).

3. A compact, high-precision ice maker water valve assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control box (1) is fixedly connected to a mounting plate (2) on its side, and the mounting plate (2) has multiple fixing holes (21).

4. A compact, high-precision ice maker water valve assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that, Two reinforcing ribs (22) are provided between the side of the control box (1) and the mounting plate (2).

5. A compact, high-precision ice maker water valve assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The flow meter (6) and the pressure reducing valve (9) are arranged in a coaxial nested layout.

6. A compact, high-precision ice maker water valve assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The PCB board (7) and the terminal interface (8) are arranged in a vertical stack.

7. A compact, high-precision ice maker water valve assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The flow meter (6) and the water valve (10) are both electrically connected to the PCB board (7).

8. A compact, high-precision ice maker water valve assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, Both the pressure reducing valve (9) and the water valve (10) adopt an integrated injection molded shell.

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